Page 14 of Psycho Pack

Four

WHISKEY

The monster's roar rattles my fucking teeth. Valek's unconscious body weighs heavy on my shoulder as I take in the sheer scale of what we're up against.

About ten solid feet of scarred muscle and raw power, crowned by an iron mask that looks like something a haunted knight might wear. White hair falls around broad shoulders in choppy strands, framing that featureless slab of metal with its glowing blue eye holes. Its right arm is all blackened iron and insane curved talons.

His,I guess.

Not really an it.

Despite this thing's monstrous appearance, it's clearly male. His massive torso ripples with corded muscle beneath skin that looks like a roadmap of torture. Surgical scars crisscross over his abs and pecs in precise patterns, while other marks are either self-inflicted or from fighting. A Y-shaped scar splits his chest from the collarbone to the waistband of his tattered gray pants, like some sick fuck performed an autopsy while he was still alive.

Wouldn't put it past these pieces of shit.

He's like Wraith cranked up to eleven. A nightmare version of my packmate with all the humanity stripped away and replaced with cold iron and endless rage.

The spears jutting from his back scrape against the walls as he takes another thundering step forward on iron and leather boots with straps that go up to his knees. His mechanical arm whirs and clicks, steel talons flexing. Each one's longer than my forearm and sharp enough to slice through bone like butter.

"Fuck me sideways," I mutter, adjusting Valek's dead weight on my shoulder. Hard to maintain a fighting stance with this asshole draped over me like a bloody cape. "Anyone got a plan that doesn't end with us getting turned into confetti?"

The monster's head snaps toward me at the sound of my voice. Those blue eye-slits flare brighter, and a bone-rattling growl builds in his chest. The sound vibrates through the flooded corridor, making the water at our feet ripple in concentric circles.

"Nope," Plague says flatly.

I've seen some scary shit in my time. But something about this thing sets every hair on my body standing on end. My instincts scream at me to run, to get the fuck away from this walking nightmare.

But we can't run.

Not with Ivy still out there somewhere.

Not with my pack in danger.

The monster takes another earth-shaking step. His talons drag across the wall, tearing through reinforced steel like tissue paper. Sparks shower down as he advances, reflecting off the pooled water in strobing patterns of orange and red.

My heart's racing, but fuck if I'm not grinning like a maniac. Been a while since we had a proper fight that wasn't against a bunch of untrained grunts, and this beast looks like he could give even Wraith a run for his money. Those glowing eyes lock ontous through the mask's slits, and I swear the temperature drops another ten degrees.

I shift Valek's dead weight on my shoulder, sizing up our odds. Between the three of us, we might have a chance.

But something tells me this fight's gonna hurt.

The Knight rolls his shoulders, those iron spears in his back catching the red emergency lights. The movement's almost casual, like he's limbering up for a workout instead of what's about to be a fucking slaughter. His mechanical hand clenches into a fist and the screech of metal on metal echoes through the room.

Gotta love a good boss fight.

"Well shit," I mutter, unable to keep the excitement from my voice. "Guess we're doing this. If there ain't any solid ideas yet, I guess I've got one."

I heft Valek's limp ass higher on my shoulder.

"Whiskey, no!" Plague hisses, but I'm already moving.

I chuck Sleeping Beauty straight at the monster like a goddamn javelin. The unconscious psycho sails through the air in a perfect arc. The monster swats him aside with a casual backhand that sends him crashing into a bank of chemical storage tanks.

"Well shit," I say with a shrug. "I tried."

The monster's glowing blue eyes lock onto me.

"Whiskey, you absolute fucking moron, I need Valek to have a halfway intact brain when I—" Plague starts, but the monster's already charging.

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